The Best Of ‘Parks And Recreation’s’ #Jerry Gergich

After last week’s glorious “Bobby Newport. BOBby NEWport. BobBY NewPORT.” scene I couldn’t hold off giving Jerry Gergich the “Best of #” treatment any longer. He’s inching closer and closer to being my favorite character on television. Or at least top ten. He’s definitely my favorite secondary supporting character (i.e. doesn’t make the opening credits) on any show on television. Thanks to Community for promoting Jim Rash and making that distinction easy. Daddy’s not great at picking favorites.

Throughout the history of television the running doormat character has played an important — if not integral — role. In my opinion no show has ever accomplished this quite as masterfully as Parks has with Jerry though. It’s to the point where he has his own doormat mythology. His real name is Gary! Gary! Maybe it says something about me or a latent bullying personality trait that resides in the recesses of my brain but I honestly can’t get enough of Jerry torment. Is it too late to request a conference room bottle episode for this season?

Parks is a show that manages to be edgy while also having a heart, but there’s no heart shown towards Jerry, which is one of things that keeps it edgy. I love that. Even if it only makes a modicum of sense. So here’s every scrap of Jerry-related humor I could find. I see no way it doesn’t improve your Monday. “He had one job to do.”

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I don’t mean to nit-pick, if thats what this is qualified as, but i do disagree that there is “no heart shown towards Jerry.” Mike Schuer has talked about it a lot, but some of the examples: Jerry is the only one married with a family, Jerry is a classically trained pianist and talented artist (though that eventually became a joke). Jerry apparently has the biggest penis around Pawnee. Also, they’ve established Kyle as a person on peg lower on the totem pole than Jerry allow him (in the burger cook off) to shit on someone below him. Either way, great slideshow here.

I was referring more to how the creators have clearly taken a hard line that all primary characters will treat Jerry as a doormat, with no middle ground. Even the friendliest characters get jabs in here and there. It wouldn’t be as brilliant of a running gag if they didn’t all do it.